


The Trembling

by nausicaa_of_phaeacia



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Drinking, Drinking Games, F/M, Post-Episode: s02e10 What They Become, Prompt Fic, Skoulson RomFest 2k15, skoulsonfest2k15
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-19
Updated: 2015-01-19
Packaged: 2018-03-08 05:32:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3197240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nausicaa_of_phaeacia/pseuds/nausicaa_of_phaeacia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set right after what happens during the episode. All Skye needs is some distraction, and she finds it with Hunter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Trembling

**Author's Note:**

> I know one of the main relationships I tagged here is Hunter/Skye. Bear with me though, this is a skoulsonfest fic (and an experiment). :) 
> 
> Prompt: [DRINKING GAMES]

Skye isn't sure how she's ended up here. She hasn't told anyone about the earthquakes yet. She's also made quite the point telling everyone that she's not going to talk about any of it today. Not even about Trip. That tonight, all she's going to do is sit on Hunter's couch and play drinking games with him (to be fair, it was his suggestion, and to be even more fair, he seems to be the only one who gets it). Bobbi is holding a shaking, crying Jemma in her bunk, sending everyone away who wants to get near her, while May is in the cockpit even though autopilot seems to be a viable option right now. Fitz and Mack are taking care of Coulson, even though even a blind person could tell all three of them would like to be somewhere else.

That's why around two hours later, they're still playing movie drinking games where you're supposed to drink whenever a certain character says or does something repetitive. Skye's not even sure anymore what the rules are, but to be safe, she's been drinking the designed bit whenever in doubt, too. After the first movie (Skye remembers thinking she hasn't expected Hunter to watch romcoms), they've gone from beer to harder stuff, now it's stuff of Skye doesn't know what exactly, but it has the same colour your average whiskey does. She could tell from the first three, four beers already that the stuff is affecting her much more than it does Hunter (or maybe she's just out of practice?), but to be honest, they're both far beyond just a little tipsy by now. 

She doesn't mind Hunter's hand on her thigh after they've gone from sitting on the couch to leaning against the couch, sitting on the floor. Lance Hunter isn't your dream guy, but Skye knows she just doesn't care right now. This is just a drunk thing, right? She's getting drunk with a guy after a mission that just went the southest of south, and he's actually really not your worst guy, either. She does him the courtesy of asking about Bobbi very briefly when they start making out, but he assures her it's off at the moment. And she knows neither of them is doing this tongue thing because of commitment. This is going to be a mutually consensual drunk intermezzo, she kind of reassures herself as his hands are wandering up her back, underneath her shirt. It's all a haze, but even now she knows what she's doing, and even now, she sees Trip falling apart, dissolving into dust. The only thing she can't feel right now is that sort of inner tremor that's told her she's connected to the trembling of the earth. And she's glad at least _that's_ gone for now, and that even though the events of the day are still too present in her head, they're at least all part of a general fuzziness that's going to become a pitiless throbbing in her head tomorrow, she's aware of that. But right now, Hunter seems to be the only one to understand what she's been through, and what she needs right now: distraction.

She's almost ready to take off her shirt (his hands have been everywhere already, almost always at the outer side of the fabric, though), and her hazy mind is already thinking about unbuckling his belt, when the door suddenly opens.  
It's Coulson, of course.  
She doesn't seem to feel guilty really, neither does Hunter. If anything, she's annoyed at Coulson for bursting in like that. They both stand up, Coulson rushing inside, closing the door behind himself, an undefinable expression on his face. Maybe it's the alcohol, but Skye really doesn't know what to make of it at all.   
Hunter's the first one to speak after turning off the TV in a routine movement of his hand, he tells it to Coulson's wide eyes.   
„It's not _really_ what it looks like, Sir. Not _really_ really. I mean – we've been playing a drinking game for _distraction_ and then this kinda just ... came of it.“

Coulson takes a step towards him and Skye thinks the next thing she's going to do is punch poor Lance in the face. Sock him in the jaw. But for some reason, it's not happening.  
„Don't worry, Coulson. This wasn't going to be a long-term thing. Right, Skye? This was going to be _tonight_. So no need to get jealous, Director. Not taking away your girl.“ There's a painful sarcasm in Hunter's voice and Skye thinks she's probably a little too far away already to follow not just the verbal content of a conversation, but also its subtext.   
Hunter makes a defensive gesture, gives a painful, crooked smile, mumbles something that sounds like „distraction“, then leaves his own bunk. Skye wonders where he's going. 

As Hunter closes the door, Skye runs her fingers through her hair, feeling herself get angry.  
„What do you think you're doing, Coulson? Bursting in like that. Tracking me down in Hunter's bunk. You know, interrupting – _this_ , whatever this is. A one-night stand. Yeah, _distraction_. Just because you weren't smart enough to understand that talking about it was the .. the last thing I needed today. Lance is the only one who gets it. I was alone down there. I couldn't do _anything_. First thing I know as the mud around me is crumbling is that Trip's dissolving, his hand reaching towards me. _Dissolving_! Into air. Just disappearing! Not a _crumb_ is left of him, Coulson, and I saw it.“ She's started crying.   
„When you finally came around, everything was over already. Raina gone. Trip, ... _gone_. And me, finally become the monster Raina has always wanted me to be. Now I have the _gift_ she's been bitching about the whole time. The power my goddamn _father_ has wanted me to have. I guess it's fate? Who knows. Who _freaking_ knows. But Trip's death is my fault. I should've understood sooner what was going on. I mean what was she going to do? Destroy the thing? Run away with me? Ha freaking _ha_.“   
She's wiping away a few tears, her voice more resolute now. „It's my fault. None of you saw it. You have _no idea_ what I've been through. And now you burst into Hunter's bunk like that and tell me I shouldn't have drunk sex with the only guy in here who knows how I feel.“

„I didn't say anything,“ Coulson says, his voice very small.   
Skye suddenly feels tiny, her voice a whisper.  
„You're ... you're right. I'm sorry.“ She blinks, a tear running down her face, and she's suddenly fully aware of how insecure she is on her feet, how heavy the memories of today still are on her shoulders, how many shots she's actually had, how stupid she's been.   
„I thought I needed this. I'm sorry. You were probably just ... _worried_. I'll – I'll go to bed now.“  
„I'll go to your bunk with you,“ Coulson says, his expression quite a bit softer now. She doesn't object, and he puts an arm around her shoulders. It feels good, she remembers thinking, and it's a big contrast to Hunter touching her just before.   
„I don't even know what to feel anymore.“  
He doesn't reply, but she knows he understands. 

When he softly pushes her to sit down on her bed and lifts the sheets to cover her legs with it, she says, sitting up, „Sorry, Coulson. I should've known you'd get it, too.“  
He swallows. He figures it can't hurt her any more if he tells her. „I was down there, too. I was looking for you.“  
Her eyes grow wide.  
„I thought I'd lost you, and then you kind of just _walked out of there_. And you're not talking to anyone. Not even to May. Trip's dead, Raina's gone, and you're suddenly a, a ... _superhero_ and you're not saying anything. Not even to comfort Jemma. Not even asking if everybody was well. You know, I'm not saying this to make you feel bad about it. But _yes_ , guess what, I _was_ goddamn worried about you, Skye. I came looking for you as soon as Fitz and Mack had finally finished patching me up.“  
She's started crying again, silently. 

„Everything's so messed up, Coulson, I don't know what to feel anymore. Now I'm what my father always wanted me to be, and I really don't know if that's a good thing. I don't even know who I _am_ , really. Daisy Johnson, the earthquake monster. I killed him, Coulson, I _killed Trip_.“  
She's sobbing now, and he can't help sitting down at her bedside, holding her, her inner strength all limp, trembling in his arms.   
„It's not your fault, Skye. You couldn't know. You couldn't possibly _know_. Just – talk to me next time. You know I'm here for you. I mean – Skye. _Skye_.“ She looks up at him, wiping tears off her face. „You said we were in the dark together. Now we know what's behind all this mystery, but we're still – we're still _partners_ in this. You promised. _I_ promised.“  
She's nodding shyly.   
„I thought I'd lost you,“ he croaks.  
She wraps him in a tight hug, and he feels tears prickling in his eyes, but he doesn't let them go. Now it's his turn to support her. He's been avoiding her long enough. 

„And did it have to be _Hunter_?,“ he suddenly asks in a somewhat lighter tone. „I thought you preferred younger, dark-haired guys who could hack computers.“  
It makes her giggle.  
„Actually, Coulson,“ – there is a worrying pause before she continues –, „I prefer the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.“  
He freezes, and since he doesn't reply, she loosens the hug, looking him in the eye, and all of a sudden, it's perfectly clear to her what she saw in Coulson's expression when he'd rushed into Hunter's bunk, because it's there again now.  
There's confusion, and hope, and such intensity in his eyes, it almost scares her how she hadn't been able to see it earlier.   
Finally, he speaks.  
„You prefer _me_.“  
It's not actually a question, but she can almost feel him tremble with anxiousness now. She smiles, very slowly, then leans in and kisses him on the cheek. „Yeah. I do,“ she whispers against his face.  
She can feel him smile under her lips.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Please tell me what you think. I've been so tied up lately that my romfest contributions are even much more rushed than they were last year. Forgive me :) I hope they still turned out to be somewhat pleasant!


End file.
